Coupling
by robinh
Summary: Kono and Steve are all bruised up, and miserable. Danny and Chin try to fix this. Try to fix them. Unsurprisingly, things are not going according to plan.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N**: A new McKono fic. Can be regarded as a season 4 based, but there are a few major differences in the story line. Trying to write a lighter fic now, after the last two, that were a bit more serious.

Again, I do not own Hawaii Five 0. Everything you recognize belongs to CBS. Although I have some misgivings about the way the show is written recently, I still love the characters and the basic energy of the show. Here, for better days to come...

Please tell me what you think.

* * *

"Please babe, you have to do something " Danny pleads her, in what must be the seventeenth time in the last week. She stands on a ladder in the storage room when he does it, putting away boxes of listening devices and ammunition he hands her from the lower shelves, so she practically has no way to escape.

"What do you want form me?" she sighs miserably "he's _your girlfriend_, can't you do something yourself?" It's the same conversation all over again since he started nagging her nonstop about this.

"Don't you think I tried?" he whines, shaking his head "believe me, I begged, I pleaded, I threatened him, I even tired to bribe him... nothing worked, he won't listen."

"So... leave him alone, then. I mean, he literally said _no,_ didn't he? Maybe he's genuinely not interested."

"Of course _he's not interested_" Danny huffs dismissively "he doesn't want anything to do with it. He was very clear about that. And quite loud, too..."

"So, why do you keep bugging him for?" she looks at him tiredly "_or me_, for that matter?"

"Why?" Danny cries "why? Because I care about him, and I know what's good for him, and I just can't..."

"Can't what?" she looks at him with suspicion.

"Can't handle him being so angry and miserable, and irritated all the time. It drives me crazy, and I think it's actually dangerous for me to be around him when he's feeling this way. He might do something dangerous." She raises her eyebrow skeptically "he might do something even _more_ dangerous than usual" he clarifies.

"Danny..." she sighs.

"Look, Kono. If I had another way, I would never have dreamt about throwing this on you..."

"But I don't want to do it" she whines.

"I know, babe. But we're Ohana right? It's your duty to help him out." She looks at him in despair "please, babe" he smiles enticingly at her, trying to break her resolve with the most pathetic imitation of a puppy dog eyes.

"Honestly, Danny, Do you really think he would listen to me more than he would to you?" she tries one last desperate tactic "I mean... you're his best friend, the two of you spend all your time together... and just between the two of us, I think he would do a lot _just to keep you quiet_..."

"Well, it's... a bit more complicated than what you think, actually" he says, looking around the room awkwardly.

"What do you mean?" she looks at him with suspicion from on top of the ladder.

"I might have offered a... _a_ _deal_, sort of..."

"A deal? What deal?" she steps down and stands in front of him, staring at him warningly. She has a really bad feeling about it.

* * *

"You want me to do what?!" Steve turns around, to look at Chin who sits on the couch in front of him.

"I'm sorry Steve, if I had another way, I would never have dreamt of throwing this on you."

"What do you mean, no other way?" he looks at him with suspicion "she seems fine to me, I have no idea what you're talking... Wait, did _Danny_ send you to talk to me about this?"

"She's not fine, Steve" Chin rolls his eyes "I'm sure, _even you_ can see that she's not fine."

"Well," he sighs "she had a rough time recently, it's understandable if she needs some time to... "

"She's miserable."

"She's not" he rejects.

"She's extremely sad and depressed, and very lonely."

"Well" he says carefully "maybe she _is_ a little... _discouraged_..."

"Fine" Chin nods levelheadedly "we can call it _discouraged_ if it makes you feel any better, she still needs your help, though."

"My help?" Steve scratches his head awkwardly.

"You're her boss, Steve" Chin reminds him "you have a certain responsibility."

* * *

"Seriously Danny" she cries when she sees she might actually be forced to go through with this stupid plan "even if I said yes, I would never be able to find someone who would go for it."

"Why not?" he sounds offended "what's wrong with him? He's a great guy."

"He certainly was" she agrees "a really great, standup guy. Until she cheated on him, and left him, and turned him into this pile of resentment, misery and cynicism. I don't think I can expose innocent people to him when he's being like that, especially when he really don't want to do it..."

"I know he's... all those things you'd mentioned... I do. But even like that, he's really good-looking..." Danny tries "women always look at him when we go out, they keep giving him their phone numbers, they flirt with him, quite shamelessly, too."

"Did he ever went out with these women, or used their phone numbers?" she raises an eyebrow.

"Well, no" Danny grunts "I honestly think he has no idea what to do with them."

"You see?" she points out triumphantly "he's not cut up to this shit. He's... _different_ than other guys..."

"Guys? What guys?" he looks at her curiously.

"_Normal guys_" she clarifies.

* * *

"But why me?" he looks at Chin anxiously "I mean, where the hell would I find a... I mean, you're the one who is more familiar with the population around here, you can handle it much better . Better than anyone."

"We know the same people" Chin shrugs "and even if I'd manage to find someone we're both not related to, we have a history together. She will never accept anyone I bring. She'll be way too suspicious."

"What about Danny?" Steve offers "can't _he_ find someone?"

"Danny has no friends on this island whatsoever." Chin shakes his head "I think he tries to make sure it will stay like that for as long as he can."

"Chin..." he sighs.

"It's just a guy. A random guy. Maybe you can bring someone from the Naval base."

"Do I have to?" he whines.

"Well..." Chin looks at him carefully "you kinda do, because the only way we could persuade her to do it, was to offer her some kind of a deal."

* * *

"One of my cousins?" she looks at him like he's crazy "no way. They've all heard too many stories about him. They all think he's out of his mind." He looks at her pleadingly "well... my cousin Lilly said he looks good..." she says hesitatingly, seeing Danny's eyes brighten immediately "but why do I have to go too?" she asks with a sigh "can't I just give her his number?"

"You're going too to make sure he's following the basic rules of human behavior. And because he's fixing you up with one of his buddies" Danny reminds her.

"_Buddies?_" she looks at him skeptically "he has _buddies_ now?"

"Mmmm... maybe an acquaintance would be more accurate" Danny agrees.

"One night?"

"One night."

"And you'll owe me!" she warns him.

"Two weeks of paperwork and seven lunches."

"Ten" she crosses her arms on her chest.

"Eight."

"Ten."

"You've got yourself a deal, babe" he smiles, as they shake hands.

* * *

"Just one night?" he asks again, carefully.

"One night" Chin confirms "just to help her get started."

"And_ I_ have to be the one to offer it to her because..."

"Because she'll never say no to you."

"And the reason I have to have a date too is..."

"Would you rather just sit there, alone, looking over their shoulders?"

"Fair enough" he sighs "but I'm telling you, if by the end of the date she's not laughing and smiling like a crazy lunatic every day, I'm holding you responsible for wasting law enforcement time and resources."

* * *

She's more excited about this ridiculous double date than she thought she would be. Well, maybe _excited_ is not the right word. Scared out of her wits, and on the verge of throwing up is much more accurate. It took her three whole hours to gain the courage to call her cousin Lilly and offer to set her up with her boss, and she still isn't sure what was more annoying, to find that Lilly was completely over the moon about the offer, or to find that Steve was surprisingly much more amendable to the concept than she would have imagined. She tries to figure out what Danny and Chin went through to make him cooperate, and she looks for some sings of bodily harm on the two guys, but can't detect any. Jeez, Danny was right. He must be in a worse shape that she thought if he actually let them do it...

* * *

Finding a guy is easier than he thought it would be. He goes to the bar near the Naval base and looks around the place for several minutes. He tries to repress the few memories he has from hanging there with Catherine during the last year, but it takes a whole bottle of pale ale to actually accomplish this.

He locates _James_ in the far corner, shooting pool with his friends. He goes over there, and watches him for a while, assessing him carefully. He recognizes him from several operations he had with SEAL team 9 a few months ago, when the guy struck him as one of the best on that team. He was quiet and serious looking young man with what seemed like a great future before him, and he got Steve's attention. That at least is something in his favor.

James is tall, and tan, and he has a good hand on the pool table, and more importantly he's a second lieutenant, which makes him ranked high enough for his age, but low enough for Steve's taste. He follows him in the club for quite a long time, the boy doesn't drink much, and he laughs a lot at his friend's jokes, he looks at the blonde hair, the green happy eyes, he's no expert, but he has a feeling girls might go for someone like him. He looks at his watch, it's almost midnight, even if they don't, the date is tomorrow, so he would have to do.

He grabs him to the side, and offers him the deal. One night, a double date, with the most beautiful girl on the island. James looks a bit skeptical, so he pulls out his cell phone and shows him a picture of his young teammate. The young SEAL says yes immediately.

* * *

She picks Lilly up at her home, and they drive to the restaurant. Danny made the reservations, in the morning, and just in case left them his credit card number. When she sent him a questioning look, he only shrugged and said "trust me, I know who I'm dealing with."

"Don't be all girly, and creepy, and sweet." she warns her cousin when they pull up near the restaurant.

"What do you mean?" Lilly looks at her curiously.

"He likes strong women. The kind of women who can take care of themselves. Try not to... not to be too _needy_."

"You mean, you don't want me to let him pay?" Lilly arches her perfect eyebrow at her.

She snorts at the absurd presumption of Steve paying. Yeah right, that will be the day "no. I mean, don't wait for him to hold the chair for you, or to order for you, or... do all these other things guys do sometimes."

"Why not?" Lilly smiles.

"_Why yes?_" Kono answer with irritation "you're a corporate lawyer, you eat men like him for breakfast. You're a tough woman, why would you even want to..."

"I'm on a date Kono" Lilly laughs her beautiful laugh as they get out of the car "I think I can expect a little... tenderness."

"Tenderness?" Kono shrieks "right, I wouldn't hold my breath..."

* * *

"We'll keep it short." Steve tells his new friend when they drive to the restaurant.

"Short?"

"Yes, short. And I want you on your best behavior the entire time. She had a rough time recently, went out with a guy who lied to her and hurt... it doesn't matter, I want you to be kind, and to listen carefully to the things she says, and to laugh at her jokes, and to make her enjoy herself."

"Steve, I know how to handle myself on a date..." James starts to explain, but Steve only sends him a warning glare "I mean, yes sir. Whatever you say." James tenses into attention. That's much better.

* * *

The restaurant choice is impeccable. A simple enough sushi place, with nice tables, candles light, red tablecloths, quiet music and great atmosphere. She sends a careful look at her boss, when she sees him from the door, he's looking around him, and seemed quite impressed, she has a feeling going to restaurants is not a usual part of his life.

They step towards the table, and amusedly she sees how Steve's companion stands up to greet them. Steve only frowns at first, but when he has no other choice, does the same, and he's lucky he has one of his best smiles on when they come nearer, because it helps her forget immediately what a bad idea it was to let Danny push her into this ridiculous situation.

She introduces Lilly, and his smile is getting wider, he shakes Lilly's hand, and she knows her cousin well enough to know she doesn't blush this easily for any random guy. She sits next to James, smiling kindly, watching, horrified, how Lilly swallows Steve with her eyes, like she's going to ravish him.

Suddenly, she has a very weird feeling about this...


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Thank you for reading and favoring and especially for commenting on this fic. I know it's been a while, but my computer crashed with the already finished update, and I had to (after getting over the initial hysteria) write it from the beginning. I'm not sure it came out as I originally intended, I hope it still makes sense.

Please tell me what you think.

* * *

The date goes pretty well, she thinks. The food is good, the sake makes them all relaxed and comfortable, and James is sweet and kind and very very beautiful. She asks a few questions about his acquaintance with Steve, but when she realizes their shared time together is practically less than twenty four hours, and that they hardly know each other, she abandons this line of questioning immediately, before she'll say something they'd all regret.

He tells her about his workout regime and she tells him about surfing. He lets her try his fish, and she offers him some Hawaiian sushi, and he smiles at her appreciatively every time she looks at him. It's really not as bad as she thought it would be. It feels good to be admired after so long. When he puts his arm over her chair, and his hand _accidently _touches her hair softly, she starts to suspect she's even starting to enjoy it a little bit.

* * *

When James excuses himself to go to the restroom she has a chance to look over at Steve and Lilly. She was so lost in James's green eyes, she almost forgot about the other members of their little party. It takes her exactly two seconds to recognize what's going on there. She exhales in frustration when she sees them, for crying out loud, why she is even surprised.

"So Steve" Lilly smiles at him enticingly "tell me, how do you like your job?"

"What do you mean?" he asks her with apparent suspicion.

"I mean, how do you like it? Do you enjoy it? Is it a good place for you to…" He takes a glance over at Kono in confusion, and sees her shaking her head in disdain.

"Of course I like it. Why would I do it if I didn't like it?" He frowns.

"She didn't mean it literally" Kono tries to stifle a groan of despair when she looks at him furiously "she's only trying to get you to talk about yourself. It's a general question, just to open a conversation."

He looks at her curiously for a few seconds, and she raises her eyebrows at him expressively.

"It's a good job" he says to Lilly "I like it very much." The only reason she doesn't slap him at this point is the fact that he ends his sentence with one of his sweetest smiles, and it makes her lose her train of thoughts for a moment. For god's sakes, he can always get away with everything, using these smiles of his. She swears, it even works on Danny.

"I'm sure you can do better than that" Lilly smiles at him encouragingly "Kono told me you're the best team leader she'd ever seen. She said you're brave and dedicated and very protective" she leans closer to him, and puts her hand on his arm, making him look at her perfect red nail polish curiously "I find it extremely sexy in a man…" she whispers to him.

He looks at Lilly with a faint smile. She can see from her position on the other side of the table how his eyes flicker from her eyes, to her bright red lips, to her disturbingly deep cleavage. He looks again at her gentle hand on his forearm before he raises his eyes towards Kono "did you really say that?" he asks, smiling mischievously at her.

"I had to" she grumbles, sending a pointed look towards what turns out to be, her shameless cousin "Danny said to use any low tactic I need to get you a date…"

He only laughs at her annoyed response, and takes another gulp from his sake, forcing her to break into a smile too.

"I have a great team" he says to Lilly "and we get good results. The work is hard, and we put a lot into it, but it I think it gives us…" he stops, trying to think of the right word.

"It gives us a sense of accomplishment. Makes us feel that we make a difference on the island." Kono explains, looking at him thoughtfully.

"Yes" he smiles towards his young teammate "we protect our home. I think this is the most important thing we do."

"That's nice" Lilly smiles at him approvingly "and what do you do for fun?" He looks at her dumbstruck for a moment "you do have fun from time to time, don't you?" she tries again, a little unsurely now.

He only frowns in concentration. Can't think of anything that might fall under this category.

"Oh, for crying out loud" Kono cries from her place in front of him "you _do_ like to swim, and you run every morning…"

"Yeah" he shrugs "I also go to the shooting range every weekend, but it's a part of my training routine, I didn't realize that's what she was looking for."

"Well…" she has to admit he has a point there "you go fishing sometimes…"

"With Chin, yes" he nods "not so much anymore, though… not since he has Leilani…"

"You go out, right?" Lilly tries again.

"Nooo… not really" He confesses "only rarely, for drinks, with the team, after we close a big case."

"He cooks" Kono says after some thought "he cooks really well."

"Really?" Lilly looks genuinely intrigued "I cook too, it's my favorite pass time."

"No you're not" Kono looks at her with surprise "you mostly order in. Or go to your mother. I've never seen you cook anything, and I've known you your entire life."

"I _do_ cook" Lilly sends her a furious look "I took lessons. I'm very good, actually." She smiles towards Steve, proudly "besides" she glares towards her cousin "how would you know how good someone cooks? You need a map just to find the kitchen in your own home."

"I'm…" she tries to deny it, but can't.

"She's a good eater" Steve says seriously "she really enjoys it, and it's a pleasure to…" he stops in the middle when he sees Kono's horrified expression "what?"

"You don't cook for me" she says quickly "he cooks for the team sometimes, you know, after we…"

"Close a big case… I get it." Lilly says dryly, looking at the both of them thoughtfully for a few seconds, not missing Kono's blushing face in the process.

There's a tense silent around the table when James is back "what did I miss?" he smiles at Kono.

"Nothing" she mumbles as she takes another sip from her sake. It doesn't feel like it's going well at all, all of a sudden. She smiles towards James, hoping he'd say something helpful.

"So Steve" James says "How are things in Five-0? Closed any big cases lately?" Right. That's just perfect.

* * *

They eat in silence from then on. They are all very civil and nice to each other, but they hardly talk about anything of consequence. She can see from her position at the table how Lilly continues to move her hands around Steve, how she sends lustful smiles towards him, and laughs at everything he says, making him focus on her the entire time. She is too busy following her cousin's every move, she doesn't even notice when James is sending his hand to her thigh, doesn't respond to him whispering things in her ear, she just fixes her gaze at her boss and his date, absentmindedly drinking more and more sake.

* * *

They order desert and some coffee, and while they wait for the waitress to come with their orders, she hears Lilly asking "so Steve, when was your last relationship?"

"Emmm…" he looks a bit confused. She shakes her head in mortification, she has no idea if he's more confused about the timing question or about the actual definition of the word _relationship_.

"He broke up with his girlfriend three months ago." She tries to help him out.

"She wasn't my girlfriend" he murmurs under his breath automatically, and earns himself curious looks from James and Lilly.

"Fine" Kono agrees "she wasn't your girlfriend, you still broke up with her three months ago."

"I didn't do anything with her" he clarifies "she'd just…"

"Well, she's not around anymore" Kono says kindly "that's the important thing."

"That is true" he nods with satisfaction, raising his glass towards her.

"Three months?" Lilly says slowly "what a coincidence."

"What do you mean?" he asks her.

"Three months ago you came back, after you left Adam, didn't you?" She looks at Kono, strangely.

"So…?" she asks tensely, trying to avoid James's curious look "what are you saying?"

"I'm not saying anything" Lilly shrugs "I'm just mentioning the timeline. You don't have to be so defensive about it."

"Adam and I was a mistake from the get go. I was stupid. I regret everything about it, and I'm glad it's over." She says seriously, looking at Steve.

They stare at each other in silence for a few moments, while the waitress shows up with their deserts and puts them on the table.

"Kono, I'm going to the ladies room" Lilly says, standing up "would you like to come with me?"

"Why would I want to come with you…?" She starts to protest, but Lilly only stares at her deliberately for a few seconds "sure" she sighs "I'll be happy to come with you."

* * *

"He's _my_ date, you know" Lilly tells her the minute they're in the ladies room.

"What?! I know he is" she blushes completely.

"Stop talking to him" She pokes her in the chest "you're distracting him from me."

"I'm not" she tries to defend herself "I'm just trying to help, you can see for yourself, he's not so good at this whole dating thing."

"He's good enough!" Lilly glares at her "a bit out of touch from reality and with the verbal skills of a baby Orangutan but still, nothing I can't work with."

"Lilly, he had a rough time. His girlfriend cheated on him, left him for another man. He was a shitty boyfriend, I grant you, and none of us was surprised, but still he has… he has issues. Trust issues, and she really pulled a number on him. I only try to…"

"He's taking me home tonight." She tells her, turning towards the mirror and fixing her hair.

"What?!" she shrieks, looking at her through the mirror "no way, you came here with me, I'll take you back... Did he... Did he say anything?" she asks quietly.

"He doesn't know it yet" Lilly smiles brightly at her "but I know I got his attention. You saw how he looked at me…"

"Lilly, look…" she starts to get nervous from an unknown reason, and she thinks maybe it's the fact that she had a few more drinks than she probably should have.

"I want you to stop talking to him" she turns towards her "don't mention your team, don't try to help him express himself. I'm taking him home with me, and I'm going to sleep with him tonight because he's the best looking man I've ever dated. God, he's so sexy I have to forcefully stop myself from attacking him right here and right now."

"Lilly, he's not that kind of…"

"They are all _this kind of guy_, Kono" she winks mischievously at her "thank you for introducing us, you're a really good cousin, but I think I got it from here."

She walks out of the restroom and back to the table, Leaving Kono standing there, speechless, for a long long time.

* * *

They step out of the restaurant and walk towards the cars. She feels a little wobbly. That warm sake she drank really went straight to her head. She sees Lilly hanging on Steve's arm, laughing at something he said, and she feels a bit nauseated suddenly.

"I don't think you should drive" James tells her with concern when she takes a big breath of the Hawaiian night air, trying to control her nerves. Unfortunately, she's not even drunk enough to contradict him.

"I'll take you home" she hears Steve's confident statement.

"What about your car?" James, who is probably the most infuriating guy she'd ever met asks reasonably.

"Maybe James can take her home" Lilly offers with a faint smile "she lives close to the base anyway…"

"I'll be happy to" He says quickly, holding Kono around her shoulders.

She can see Steve's guarded expression, and Lilly's innocent smile and decides to admit defeat. She pulls out her keys and hands them to James, and smiles reassuringly towards Steve who looks quite skeptical about this whole idea. "It's fine" she tells him "I'm not _that drunk_. If he tries anything, I can still break his neck."

"So I guess you'll be taking me home then" Lilly says to Steve in a sweet flirtatious voice.

She is already half way to her car, with James, when she hears Steve's short response "fine. Let's go."

* * *

"So, how was it?"

"How was what?"

"The date, how was the date?" Danny rolls his eyes towards his partner.

"It was fine. I think Kono really liked James."

"J-Jame… Who the hell cares about James? How was _your_ date?"

He looks at his partner thoughtfully "It was fine. I told you. Absolutely fine."

"You are such a waste of my time, I swear" Danny mumbles "was she nice? Beautiful? Did you get her phone number?"

"Yes. I guess."

"You guess?" Danny looks at him incredulously "what do you mean, you guess?!"

"She was fine" Steve looks at him with annoyance "what do you want me to tell you?"

"Okay, Casanova" Danny shakes his head in despair "let's try something else. Let's pretend we're back in the SEALS and I'm your supervising officer."

"_My _supervising officer? _You_? I really don't think so…" he scoffs.

"Just humor me" Danny states dryly "let's pretend the date last night was some really complicated and dangerous operation behind enemy lines" they both look at each other for a second, this assumption might be more accurate than either of them cares to admit "so now you're back, and you have to give me your report, okay? Go on then, tell me, how was the date?"

He looks at his partner thoughtfully "I told you" he says after a few seconds "it was fine."

* * *

"So" he smiles towards her "how was it?"

"The date?"

"Of course the date. What else would I be asking about?"

"It was fine." She shrugs, looking back at the screen.

"Fine?" he asks her with concern "it doesn't look like it was fine. You look… discouraged…"

"Discouraged?!" she looks at him with surprise "what the hell are you talking about. Discouraged? I am not discouraged. It was…" she sighs and shakes her head "it was fine."

"Right…" Chin looks at her unsurely.

"He had a great time, he really liked Lilly. Obviously. She's your cousin too, you know how great she is."

"Lilly…? I'm not talking about Lilly. I don't care about… How was _your_ date?" he shakes his head unbelievingly.

"Oh…" she says sheepishly "James. James was nice. Very cute, and very kind. Steve made an excellent choice there."

"He did?" Chin looks impressed.

"Yes" she grumbles "he picked the perfect guy for me. If I wouldn't have known him better I'd say he did it very thoughtfully."

"Maybe he did" Chin smiles "he really cares about you, you know. Wants you to be happy."

"He took the first guy he met the night before our date" she informs him "it was no more than a lucky bet."

"Perhaps" Chin smiles at her obvious resentment "still, you liked him, you had a great time, did you make any… future plans…?"

"He took me home at the end of the date." She shrugs.

"He did?" Chin looks a bit apprehensive, and she can see he's already regretting asking about it in the first place.

"He did" she smiles at his obvious discomfort, as she's walking towards her office "and he was such a perfect gentleman, and so good looking, I let him stay the night…"

* * *

"Fine, fine. So you don't want to tell me about the date. I get it" Danny tries a different tactic "I can always ask Kono, she'll be a better witness anyway, she actually has a sense of how a proper date should look like. Just tell me, how did it end?"

"How did it end?" He looks at his partner blankly.

"Yes, Steve" he sighs "the end. You know, the part when you say goodnight, and make promises for the future."

"I didn't say goodnight" he says offhandedly as he stops the car and cuts off the engine.

"You didn't?" Danny looks at him stupefied "why the hell not? I swear, you make no progress whatsoever. Your manners are actually getting worse, as you get older."

"I didn't say goodnight, Danny" he opens the car's door, and glares towards his partner "because _it wasn't night anymore_. I said good morning and then I left, to get ready for work."


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Thank you for reading and favoring and especially for commenting on this fic. I know some of you didn't like the ending of the date. Well, not the actual outcome, but certainly the people involved in the action. Common guys, Have I ever let you down?

Please tell me what you think.

* * *

Danny is way too pleased. Which could have been fine. Really. If he only had the decency to keep his mouth shut and stopped trying to include her in his victory march. _Her_ victory march, when you come to think about it. After all, she was the one responsible for the greatest success in 5-0 history, as Danny puts it, by getting her boss laid. With a great girl. Pretty and smart and sexy as hell, as Chin emphasized the next afternoon, in some misguided cousinly pride. So, she doesn't speak with Chin anymore. And with Danny. Of course. And she's going to kill Lilly the next time she sees her in the Kalakaua luau, and she doesn't give a damn about her aunts or her mother or her grandmother. She's pissed, and she feels betrayed, and the really annoying thing is that she actually has no apparent reason to be annoyed. Steve, who just stands there in the room with the rest of them, as Chin and Danny are celebrating his love life in such a public and irritating manner, only watches her with some mixture of puzzlement and silent curiosity, moving his eyes slowly on her tensed figure and her fingers which run on the smart table, a bit more shakily than she would like, searching for something. She has no idea what he wants from her, after all she's a weak, pathetic and cowered woman who hasn't even have the courage to look him in the eyes.

* * *

She keeps dating James for a while. Usually they meet outside the base and drive to a restaurant, or to the movies, or just to the beach. He's nice and sweet and he listens to her carefully, smiling at anything she says. When they sit on the sand, under the sunset, he moves his arm around her shoulders and kisses her cheek gently, murmuring sweet nothings in her ear.

"I'm going on a mission, soon" he whispers to her, kissing her ear shell gently "I'll be gone for about a week."

"You are?" she says a little bit too enthusiastically than she thinks is appropriate.

"Yes, and I was never so upset about going on a mission as I am right now" he continues, biting her neck gently.

"Why?" she asks with surprise "what's wrong with this mission? Is it too boring?"

"Bo...Boring...? No" he laughs at her "of course it's not boring. I just..." he smiles, when he moves the hair away from her face and watches her lips with intent "I just don't want to leave you."

"I..." she's almost speechless "I'll be fine" she grumbles.

"Of course you'll be fine" he smiles "but I'll miss you. I'll think about you all the time." She looks at him doubtfully "I will" he laughs "I'm thinking about you constantly as it is, and this is when I actually get to see you every couple of days."

"I see" she blushes a little. She's not entirely sure she likes this position he puts her in, no matter how beautiful he is.

"I leave in two days" he continues quietly.

"Well" she smiles "I hope you'll have a nice mission, then." It only makes him laugh even more for some reason.

"I thought maybe, as it is our last evening together, you'll give me the proper farewell party..."

"A party?" she thinks he just lost her there.

"I _private_ party" he smiles, leaning in to kiss her jaw line "at your place" he kisses her behind her ear, as his hand strokes her hair "maybe you'll even let me stay the night for once..."

"You've already stayed the night" she mumbles absentmindedly "the first night we met."

"Yes" he grins against her skin "only after you didn't let me take your car, because you said you have to be at work early the next morning, and you forced me to sleep on the couch, and called me a cab first thing in the morning, even before I woke up. I thought to get an _upgrade_ this time. You know... to actually have s..."

* * *

"_You broke up with him?!_" Chin is looking at her in what can only be described as sheer mortification.

"I didn't break up with him" she tries desperately to calm him down "I just told him I don't think we should see each other anymore. That I don't think it's working, and that he should find someone else who'll suit him better."

"_Why?_" Chin's horrified look is still piercing her, and she really hopes he would start concentrating back on the road soon, before they'll both get killed in a freaky car accident.

"Why?" she looks at him with confusion "because I really don't want to see him anymore and I don't think it's working. Why else would I tell him this, really?"

"I didn't mean... oh for god's sakes" Chin sighs "I thought you liked him."

"Of course I did" she confirms, trying not to cringe when her cousin almost crashes into a parking car in the busiest street of Honolulu.

"You said he's good looking."

"He is" she agrees.

"That he's sweet, and kind and very gentle with you."

"He is."

"You said he really likes you. Keeps telling you how attractive you are, how amazing. Said he can't get his hands off you."

"Yeah..." she grumbles "that sounds about right."

"So..." he looks at her with anticipation, almost missing a red light, and forced to break the car violently, making her hold her seat belt forcefully. Shit, she can suddenly see Danny's point about driving around with Steve. She's a stupid woman for trying to throw this, apparently ticking bomb on her cousin during a mission and not... you know... when he's half drunk, after a long week of high cases load. She looks suspiciously at Chin. The guy never gets even _quarterly_ drunk. She actually had no other choice. All and all, with his overreaction here, maybe she actually made the right call. She might get lucky, and he might end up tipping the car over and get her killed before completing this awful discussion.

"So?" she sighs "what do you want from me?"

"What's wrong with him?"

"He's..." she tries to think carefully "he's too gentle."

"What?" Chin laughs dryly "the guy is a Navy SEAL. How gentle can he be?"

"He always opens the doors for me" she accuses.

"The bastard!" Chin shakes his head.

"Shut up!" she frowns "and he brought me a flower."

"A flower?" Chin raises his eyebrows.

"A single red rose. To our second date."

"You're right" Chin shakes his head "the guy is a monster!"

"He refused to talk about guns."

"What?" he looks at her with confusion.

"I asked him what he's shooting with, and he refused to answer."

"Maybe it's classified" Chin suggests gently "the guy is an active SEAL... maybe..."

"He refused to tell me what's his favorite gun, too."

"Well... Maybe he doesn't have a favorite gun..."

"_That's impossible_" she looks at him with anger "what kind of a man doesn't have a favorite gun? I mean, seriously."

"Right" he looks at her strangely for a few seconds.

"He said it's not an appropriate topic of conversation."

"Well..." he looks a bit unsure all of a sudden "maybe he has a point, I mean, when you date someone, you don't usually talk about guns."

"Malia was a doctor. She was against guns and hated everything about them." Kono reminds him.

"She did" he agrees.

"So, when did you talk to her about guns?"

"Second date" he grumbles "she asked why I have two locks on my garage door."

"Precisely!" she glares at him in triumph.

"Fine, fine" he gives up "what else?"

"Nothing special" she shrugs "he's a good guy, very kind, and quiet, and I think he really likes me..."

"But..."

"He lets me win in all our arguments."

"Arguments? You had arguments?" he almost bursts up laughing "you were dating for a month and a half, what the hell did you have to argue about?"

"Just... things..." she says sheepishly.

"What things?"

"All sorts of things" she looks out the window, fascinated with the passing view all of a sudden.

"Kono..."

"Fine" she sighs "food, music, pets, exercise routine, traditional Hawaiian culture, professional football, and women in the military... you name it..."

"You had arguments about that?" he looks at her, like he can suddenly recognize something. Like he just realized what she's talking about, and she takes it as a good sign.

"Not really" she says "I told him what I thought, and he listened, and sometimes he mentioned that he _sees things differently_, but refused to say what his real opinions are. I mean, what kind of a crazy person just sits there and doesn't voice an opinion? I need someone who has strong views on these topics. Who has a sense of commitment to certain values, who'll tell me what he thinks even if he doesn't think the same way as me, and will fight for what he believes. I need someone..."

"Like Steve."

"What?" she looks at him in alarm.

"You two argue about these things constantly" he points out "you give each other hell about it."

"We're... communicating" she mumbles "that's what friends do."

"_Communicating?_" he looks at her silently for a few seconds.

"Yes" she says decisively "that's how it's called."

"Communicating…" he says again, slowly, chewing the word in his mouth "nice. It sure sounds like a nice name for it. Strange, I thought it was called something else."

"Really? Like what?" she looks at him, interested.

"Foreplay."

* * *

"How the hell are you so miserable again? I just don't get it."

"Miserable? I'm not miserable. I'm fine."

"You _are_ miserable" Danny insists, pushing another shrimp into his mouth "you're walking around with your head buried in your ass, you're annoyed about everything, you shout a lot… and your suspects-shooting average had risen in 37.2%. What the hell is wrong with you? I thought we were already past this."

"I have no idea what you're talking about" Steve is looking at his partner, irritated. The exact same conversation is being held between them, repeatedly, almost every day now. It's so exhausting that yesterday he even found himself looking at the calendar to see when Danny's vacation is coming up. It's coming up in three weeks, apparently. He looks silently at his partner staffing his face with fried shrimps and mayo (yes, _fucking mayo!_) and realizes they aren't gonna make it another three weeks in this rate. The guy will be lying dead in one of the ditches along the Kamehameha highway, way way before that "I'm doing fine, Danny. I swear. You have nothing to worry about."

"How is it going with Lilly?" he asks out of the blue. Looking innocently at Steve.

"Who…? What…? Oh, Lilly…" he catches himself just in time "it's going fine. Pretty good actually."

"You mean, she didn't dump you yet?" Danny looks at him skeptically "she still likes you?"

"Of course she still likes me" Steve says with resentment "I'm a very likeable guy" he smiles smugly towards his partner, and can see that some of the tension and skepticism is clearing away from the blonde's piercing blue eyes.

"Are you sure?" he insists "I mean, she could just be using you for sex. She's way more sophisticated than you, you know. At least, according to Chin and Kono, and also, we all know you're a bit… _delusional,_ some times, especially when it comes to women. Are you sure you two are actually dating?" In a second thought, three weeks would take a miracle. The guy is a fucking walking dead. A walking and extremely _talking_ dead.

"I did everything you wanted me to do" he groans in despair "haven't I?"

"Well…"

"I went on that double date you forced me into. I found a girl. A girl all three of you approved in a heart bit. I took her out. I kept dating her for weeks. I'm seeing her on average, twice a week. We have dinners together. I make sure to take her to restaurants at least thirty percent of the time, and we even went to the movies once, if you, you know, ignore the fact that we had a call right in the middle and I had to leave her there and go to that murder scene in the motel. God Danny, you told me to do it, I did as you asked, I thought you'd be happy for once in your life time, and leave me alone."

"I am, Steven" Danny reassures him "I'm very happy. Ecstatic even. And for the first time in a long time I even feel hopeful about your pathetic love life."

"Good."

"I just have one question for you, if you don't mind."

"One?"

"Maybe two."

"Jeez, man."

"Shut up, and answer the question! So you're seeing this beautiful girl. This nice, smart, funny and very accomplished young girl."

"Yes..."

"And under heavenly guidance, miraculously, you are able to understand and to employ some basic skills in the dating arena."

"I'm hope there is a point there, somewhere…"

"And after a very long time, since Catherine crushed your heart and killed the tiny little trust you had in the entire women race, at last you even… you know… are able to get some…"

"Fuck you, Danny!"

"No, no" Danny smiles proudly "Fuck you, Steve! I mean it."

"Danny..." he groans.

"So my only question at this point would be..."

"Yes?"

"Why the hell are you still so fucking miserable?"

* * *

They go back to HQ and Danny is still alive. A very encouraging result considering the fact that he is heavily armed and even more short-tempered than ever.

It's not Danny's fault. He knows that perfectly well. It's just… He knows she keeps dating that James guy all these weeks. He sees her at work every day, and she looks calm and happy and beautiful. She is laughing at Danny's rants, she's forcing them, again, to have those unhealthy junk food feasts in the break room, and he even caught her _singing_ on the phone to Charlie one day. They were arguing about an old Hawaiian children song they were all listening to growing up, and Chin was there, and both guys were not sure, so she _sang_ for them. He stepped out of his office when he heard her voice, saw her standing in the middle of the room, singing and smiling, and radiant. And Chin said something, and Charlie too, and she just burst out laughing, shaking all over, her hair spilling on her perfect shoulders, making him stop breathing for a few long moments.

It's everything they promised him it will be. They said, once she'd meet another guy she'll be happy again. They said she'll get back to her old, familiar, lovely self, that she will come back to them _for real_, after they almost lost her for Adam. They were right. Suddenly the beautiful, kind and magical image of Kono Kalakaua was back there in front of him, spinning his world around.

It took him an entire day to realize what it means.

She was dating _James_. _He_ was making her happy. She was broken and angry and he couldn't do anything about it, but _James could_. He kept waking up sweating, dreaming about the two of them kissing and having hot sex in her bed. Fuck! It took him hours of cold showers, swimming and running, to get rid of that image and get to work in a partially stable state of mind.

He tried to be reasonable about it. Despite Danny's conviction, he is, in fact, a very reasonable man. She was doing well, and working with her was good, and the team looked stable again, and back on track. _He_ was the one to introduce her to that… that… two timing, treacherous fucking SEAL. _He_ was the one who chose him. He did it for the sakes of his team, and for the sakes of her, and as a responsible team leader he stood right behind his actions. Also… she really _was_ happy. He looked at her sweet little smile, when she worked there on the table in front of him. Maybe it was all worth it… She yawned suddenly. And he realized this vibrant and energetic woman is standing there, tired at 08:30 in the morning for some unknown reason.

The wave of cold envy that ran through his spine, and straight to his groin almost made him smash his fist into something. When they drove to their crime scene later that day, Danny and him, and he crashed the car into that ice cream kiosk on the beach, chasing their runner, he had the distinct feeling that this specific action was not entirely reasonable.

* * *

"Don't tell Steve" she asks when they are driving back to HQ a few hours later.

"He's our boss" Chin looks at her strangely "I think we should tell him we haven't find anything. I mean, this is our only suspect, maybe he would like to change tactic."

"Not about the case. For god's sakes. Of course you should tell him about the case. I mean… about the other thing..."

He looks at her curiously for a few seconds, and she's sorry she even brought it up. "You mean about James?"

"Yes" she sighs. Why everything with Chin ho Kelly is turning into a heavy discussion? "Please, If you don't mind."

"Okay cuz" he says after a few long silent moments "I wouldn't say anything. But..."

"Thank you" she says abruptly. She doesn't really want to hear the 'buts' in this case.

"But I think he would really like to know about it."


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Thank you for reading and favoring and especially for commenting on this fic. I realize my updating pace is not what it used to be, but I'm not watching the show anymore (from obvious reasons) and it's hard to keep the motivation going. I have a lot of ideas for new fics, but sometimes it feels like writing in a vacuum of a sort. I appreciate the people who still read and support my specific line of writing (it's obviously not the most popular one).

Please tell me what you think, your reviews make me very happy and encouraged.

* * *

"So what are you planning for Saturday?" Chin asks him when they all sit in the break room eating lunch.

"Saturday?" he looks questioningly at his teammate, "I have some reports to complete, and I'll probably go to check out that new shooting range they opened in the south shore." He can see from the corner of his eye how Kono's senses are in high alert all of a sudden "I thought you might like to come with me" he says to her as offhandedly as he can, trying to ignore the weird feeling he has in his stomach when he sees how she's thinking about it for a few long seconds "they have that unique running course you can pre-order" he tries to sound casual when he desperately tries to convince her, not missing the way Chin and Danny look at him curiously "it's a course they curved in the mountain, where they placed targets in various locations that you can use to practice target shooting _while on the move_. We can take the shotguns and see if… I mean, we need to pre-order it, but I guess I can convince them to let us try it even if they have some…" all three of them look at him silently, following his every word, and he is quite sure he's missing something crucial here, so he stops "what?" he looks at all three of them tensely.

"It's Lilly's birthday Saturday" Chin explains patiently.

"Who?" they all look at him in scrutiny "oh…" he says quickly "I see… I probably knew that…" he frowns "we can still go" he looks hopefully at Kono "early Saturday morning, it's supposed to be a great shooting range, all new and modern, and we…" to her credit there's a certain amount of regret when she shakes her head in the negative.

"I don't think Lilly will appreciate me going to a shooting range with her boyfriend, on her birthday" she tells him.

"Look, Kono…" he says quickly when she starts to make her way out of the break room, trying desperately to ignore Danny rolling his eyes and Chin's obvious displeasure "there's something I need to…"

"Don't worry, babe" Danny claps him on his shoulder, as he too, makes his way to the main room after Kono "we'll help you do the right thing. Just do what we say, and Lilly will be thrilled."

He stands in the break room, looking disappointedly at her retreating back, rubbing his chin in annoyance.

Chin who follows his two teammates only sends him a hard, inexplicable look, before he leaves, too.

* * *

"The Azure will be prefect" Danny tells him when he joins the rest of his team near the smart table. It doesn't look like he's looking for a response, as he's too busy dialing a number on his cell phone.

"Perfect? Perfect for what?" he has no idea what the guy is talking about.

"For a romantic dinner with Lilly, obviously" he shakes his head at his clueless team leader "I'm making a reservation for you right now."

"Look, Danny, this is really unnecessary…" he calls frantically to his partner, but Danny is already turning the other way as someone on the other side of the line takes his call "I didn't plan to take her anywhere" he looks at Kono pleadingly "it's not even a real…"

"What are you buying for her?" Chin asks from behind him.

"Buying? I'm not…" he mumbles hurriedly "why would I buy any…"

"You have to buy her a birthday present" Danny, who is off the phone in the most inconvenient time possible, notifies him decisively.

"I don't think…" he looks at all three of them in despair "I really think it's way over the top, here…" he raises his head, looking at the ceiling, trying to stifle the curse that is there on the tip of his tongue "and besides" he shakes his head "I would never know what to buy her in the first place."

"_Kono will help you_" Chin and Danny say it in unison.

"She will?"

"I will?" she looks at them horrified.

"Of course" Chin shrugs "you're Lilly's cousin, you know her the best, and besides you're a woman."

She looks hesitatingly towards Steve, who has his eyes still searching for something on the ceiling, and can see that familiar twitch he has in his jaw whenever he's upset "I'm not sure if I can…" she mumbles quietly.

"You'll go today, after work." Danny claps his hands in pure satisfaction "it's all settled." Steve only looks at him with barely contained anger "no need to thank us, Steven" he smiles smugly towards his partner "we'll make a half decent guy out of you at the end, you'll see. After all, this is what friends are for."

* * *

It looks like the both of them don't want to be there. He drives them to the shopping mall in silence, and when she looks at him sideways, she sees that old familiar twitch in his jaw again. What the fuck is his problem anyway, she curses under her breath, Lilly is _his fucking girlfriend_, she definitely deserves this kind of attention from him. Actually, how the hell _she_ was caught up in this stupid situation, is the real question here. She shakes her head miserably at the pathetic position she finds herself in, going shopping for her cousin with _her boyfriend_. She looks at him again, cautiously. Steve is Lilly's boyfriend, and it's all her fault. She was the one pushing the two of them together in the first place. She means, let's face it, Lilly is great, beautiful and charming and funny. She's so cute and feminine, always dressed in the most sensual and sophisticated way, always looking enticingly around her, making men follow her wherever she goes. Hell, she knows perfectly well how it is when they're going out together. Lilly gets all the attention, the free drinks, the phone numbers. She's always the queen of the party, the one people are trying to talk to. The one _men _are trying to talk to. They want to talk to her so much, they even make a move on Kono, just to get near her sometimes. It's no wonder that Steve had one look at her gorgeous body, and her sensual red lips and fell for her immediately. It would have been stupid to expect anything else.

She breathes in deeply, trying to resist the strong urge she has to cry, whenever she thinks about them together. She should be happy, really. At least Lilly is a wonderful, kindhearted and decent girl. She will never hurt him the way Catherine did. She'll be gentle with him, will realize his specific… vulnerabilities… Right? She looks at him again, with concern. She really _does_ hope so. He looks strong and arrogant and self assured on the outside, but she knows him well enough. She knows how hard it is for him to get to trust people, and to connect in a more personal level. She'll help him with the present, she decides then and there. After all, this is not about her, it's about him. She'll help him find the best present for Lilly, and help him out when he tries to preserve their relationship. He went through enough. She'll make sure he'll be as happy as possible this time around.

* * *

"So, do you have something in mind?" she asks when they walk around in the mall and he looks suspiciously at the different stores.

"Mmmm…" he looks at her unsurely "maybe…" he looks at her worriedly "no, actually I have no idea" he admits.

"That's okay" she tries to smile reassuringly at him "think about other presents you bought your girlfriends in the past." He only looks at her with a blank expression. "Right…" she mumbles to herself, how stupid of her to assume "did you ever buy something for Catherine?" she asks encouragingly "you've been dating for a long time, maybe something you bought her for her birthday, or for some graduation…"

"I bought her a knife once" he says finally "an assault knife, with an ivory handle and a unique blade that you can thread a rope in it for a better…" he stops when she looks at him disapprovingly "I guess a knife is out of the question, then."

"Don't get me wrong here" she tries to make him feel a little bit better "it's actually a great gift. I personally would be thrilled to get a knife like that, but… I'm not sure Lilly will have the… _opportunity_ to use it in the bank she works at." He doesn't look too convinced, secretly she thinks he truly believes every woman can find a use for a good knife "for god's sakes Steve, just imagine what will happen if she'd step into the central bank of Hawaii carrying a knife in her bag, they'll arrest her on the spot."

"Fair enough" he grumbles and they continue to roam the mall in silence.

"Try to think about something she likes" she tries to direct him again "her hobbies, her interests. Did she happen to mention something she wanted?"

He only shrugs, how the hell is he supposed to know a thing like that. This entire scenario is so ridiculous, she has no idea. "Look Kono" he stops and grabs her arm gently "there's something I need to tell you…"

"You can buy her something for the kitchen" she says, looking at a nice looking cook wear store "after all, it's your specialty. Can you maybe think about something she needs? Something that she's missing in her kitchen?"

"I wasn't actually _in her kitchen_" he tells her hesitatingly "actually I was only in her…"

"That's fine" she stops him, already blushing despite of herself "I don't need to know about that, actually. But in this case, maybe you should buy her some lingerie…" she offers half heartedly.

"I don't think so" he says decisively, making her relax a little. She knows perfectly well, if he'd said yes she wouldn't be able to go through with it.

* * *

They continue their exploration for an hour more, getting more frustrated by the minute.

"Why can't I just bring her flowers and be done with it?" he sighs after he suggests a gift certificate in one of the bookstores and gets a strong and quite incredulous refusal.

"I have no idea" she tells him, shaking her head. "Flowers sound like a perfect solution." He looks at her expectantly "only it will be against Danny's specific instructions" she reminds him "would you like to try it and see what he does?"

"No" he says hurriedly "no way. No flowers, got it." He had enough of Danny's interference in the matter as it is.

* * *

"Jewelry."

"Jewelry?"

"Why not?"

"Why yes?"

"It's romantic, it's feminine, and it gives the right message."

"What message?" he looks at her curiously.

"That you really care about her, that she is important to you, that you took the time and the effort and went to a specific shop, and picked something just for her, that you thought she might like."

"I am? I mean, I did?"

"Sure" she says a little unconvincingly "I'm sure you can pick something up…"

"I find it hard to believe even for a single moment" he tells her honestly.

* * *

They walk around in the store, looking carefully at the glass tables. There are lots of jewelries there. Rings, necklaces, bracelets, earrings. He looks at the entire collection with what suspiciously feels like anxiety. If Kono thinks he can do anything with the random collection in front of him she's no less than delusional.

"So" she comes to stand beside him "what do you think?"

"I don't know _what _to think" he mumbles in trepidation.

"It's not that complicated" she starts to get impatient with his lack of commitment to their assignment. It doesn't suppose to be so hard, if you ask her. He should just make up his mind and let them both end this awkward shopping spree. When he sends his hand and touches the most objectionable hair pin she had ever seen in her life, she realizes she'd have to be much more active than this.

"Let's start from the beginning" she says, after taking a big calming breath "think about the kind of jewelries you saw her wear." He only looks at her blankly. She thinks he's overplaying his part, but he honestly has no idea what she's talking about.

"Okay" she tries not to scream "what about a bracelet?" she moves him close to the bracelets collection.

"A bracelet?" he frowns "to put on her wrist?"

"That's usually how you handle bracelets, yes" she says patiently. A major improvement in his ability to tackle this issue, no doubt.

"It doesn't sound like a good thing to have" he tells her seriously "I mean, it might compromise her maneuverability. It might get caught in something, prevent her from moving quickly when she has to…" he stops when he sees Kono's questioning look.

"She's not a field operator" she reminds him "you do realize she works in an office, right?"

"Still" he is quite decisive about it "I'm against bracelets. It's not mission oriented."

"Fine" she sighs "no bracelets, then. What about a couple of earrings?"

"_You_ don't wear earrings" he tells her, looking carefully at her ears. For some unknown reason his penetrating look is lingering on her skin for a longer time than is needed. She can see it travels along her neck slowly, and the way it goes on to her collar bone.

"Ehhemmm" she coughs slightly, trying to regain his attention "I actually do wear earrings sometimes" she muses "usually when I go out, after work. Earrings are nice, and Lilly has her ears pierced so…"

"What about a ring?" he asks her, trying to be more helpful.

"No, no, lover boy" she pulls him away from the rings collection "not in this early age of the relationship. You might send the wrong message." He looks at her, interested "I'm pretty sure you send her enough wrong messages as it is" she shakes her head in disdain.

* * *

"A necklace is good" she tells him when they reach the appropriate section in the store "it's neutral, it's useful. She'll love it, trust me."

He looks at her, hardly impressed "_I love necklaces_, it's the only kind of jewelry I wear on a daily basis." She tries to strengthen her case. This statement actually makes him perk up a little bit. He looks carefully at the large collection before him, assessing each necklace for a long while until he finds a specific delicate one he likes, and points it out to her. It has a thin, fine silver chain and a small round cut diamond pendant. When she looks more closely she can see that the diamond is embedded in the most precious delicate silver bed, which is shaped like a tiny flower.

"This is amazing" she tells him, obviously impressed "I love it, _I_ would _definitely_ wear it. If we were shopping for me, that would have been the one I picked." She is so preoccupied with the necklace, that probably makes the most beautiful example of her taste in the entire jewelry store, she misses the glinting eyes he lays on her, and the shy smile he has on his face when she says it.

She tries to shake her amazement quickly, and turns to look at him as steadily as she can. Lilly would love it too, she knows she would.

"I think Lilly usually wears a much… _stronger_ necklaces" she says, blushing a little, knowing this is only partly true "she likes necklaces with more presence. With colorful stones, with gold…" she looks around her frantically, until she sees an example "like this one" she shows him a beautiful gold chain with three turquoise stones.

He looks at the gold necklace, scratching his head "good" he says with finality "then we'll take this one."

He's looking for the store manager, and signaling him to come to help them when she changes her mind. She holds his arm gently, when the store manager is already in the process of wrapping the gold chain, and stops him.

"Your choice is better" she tells him, trying not to let the distinct pain she feels inside her slip into her words "you should go with what you chose first, Lilly would love it, and it would be your own personal choice, so it would make it a much better gift."

He looks at her silently, searching for something in her eyes, and suddenly she has the feeling that he knows exactly how painful it is for her to let him buy her favorite necklace for someone else.

"You sure?" he asks gently.

"Yeah" she nods, exhaling the air she wasn't aware she was holding "much better, trust me."

He buys the beautiful, delicate, magical necklace and pays for it while she stands there, watching him carefully. Then they leave.

He offers to buy her dinner, maybe a beer in one of the bars on their way, but she refuses, asks him to drive her home, which he does, in silence. When he drops her off at her home, she slams the door behind her, and takes off her shoes. Then she goes to the beach and surfs her anger, self pity and disappointment away, until it's too dark to see anything.

* * *

"Steve bought me a beautiful present" Lilly tells her enthusiastically when she calls her on Saturday to say happy birthday.

"He did?" she tries to sound enthusiastic, too.

"Yes" Lilly boasts, he has such an impeccable taste "I mean, who would have thought, seeing him, that he actually has this kind of skill set?"

"Amazing" she grumbles "simply hard to believe."

"And… We are going to dinner tonight in the Azure" Lilly is oblivious to her cousin's heartache "he gave me the necklace last night, when he came over. He said he couldn't wait even one more day to see my reaction."

"This is charming" Kono notifies her dryly.

"_It is!_" Lilly agrees, laughing on the other side of the line "it is, and _he_ is charming too. The way he was so attentive, and thoughtful… I think he's falling in love with me."

"_He is?_" the coffee cup she is holding is crashing on the floor sending brown liquid all over her living room.

"He is" Lilly sighs dreamily "I can feel it, and this is all thanks to you…"


End file.
